Rob Schremp Injured 3-4 Weeks

Add yet another Islanders forward to the injury list. Rob Schremp is joining Mark Streit and Kyle Okposo on the Injury list.

From TSN:

Melville, NY (Sports Network) – New York Islanders forward Rob Schremp will be out 3-to-4 weeks with a lower back strain.

The 24-year-old suffered the injury during the Isles’ exhibition contest against the Devils on Friday when he was cross-checked by New Jersey forward Brian Rolston, according to Newsday.

This is bad news for the Islanders, who seem to be injuring themselves quite frequently in camp this season. Schremp—who is by no means a main force of offense, but was expected to take on a bigger role due to the other injuries—is yet another big loss for an Islanders team that really can’t afford it.

Schremp had 25 points (seven goals) in 44 games for the Islanders last season. Make sure to check out Lighthouse Hockey for more.

Nino Niederreiter and Calvin De Haan Hope To Make The Islanders This Year

The Islanders' two top rated prospects survived yet another round of cuts yesterday. The Islanders — who are already without top defenseman Mark Streit and star forward Kyle Okposo — are probably looking for a replacement with both players.

From Lighthouse Hockey:

Young Islanders hopefuls Nino Niederreiter and Calvin De Haan aren’t going back to juniors just yet. The Islanders’ latest roster cuts after the conclusion of preseason games pares the quasi-roster down to a healthy um…26 bodies(?), meaning they need to get rid of three-to-four more by Lou’s Cap Circumvention Day Wednesday afternoon.

*There is much confusion on this; the team email release said 28 on the roster, the site release says 27, and Andy Hilbert and Calvin de Haan aren’t listed on that roster but are not listed as demoted either, while Mark Streit and Kyle Okposo are still on the list without the traditional double-asterisk indicating IR (that comes later).

Regardless, the Islanders probably had high expectations for De Haan — last year’s other 1st round pick — since he had a full season in juniors to develop last year.

Niederreiter was one of the studs of this year’s draft after his brilliant play during the World Junior Championship. Even if he doesn’t make the team this year expect “El Nino” to be a big part of the Islanders' offense for years to come.

More when it happens.

Okposo's Shoulder Injury Another Blow For Islanders

NHL.com is reporting today that a second key New York Islander will miss a significant amount of time this season with a shoulder injury.

From the report:

The team announced Tuesday that forward Kyle Okposo’s ailing right shoulder will require surgery that will keep him out indefinitely. Newsday is reporting that Okposo suffered a torn labrum and will miss 2-3 months.

This news comes roughly 48 hours after the team announced that defenseman Mark Streit would miss the bulk of the season after undergoing surgery to repair damage to his left shoulder that is reported to be a torn rotator cuff and labrum.

The Islanders have now lost both of their alternate captains to extended shoulder injuries and the season hasn’t even started.

The team also announced it has signed former New Jersey defenseman Mike Mottau to a two-year contract. Mottau, 32, spent the last three seasons with the Devils and last season recorded a career-high 18 points in 79 games.

Okposo finished second on the team last season with 19 goals and 52 points in 80 games. He had 18 goals and 39 points as a rookie two seasons ago. It is unclear when he suffered his shoulder injury, though there is speculation that it happened during an intrasquad scrimmage last week.

Report: Mark Streit To Miss Six Months

According to Katie Strang New York Islanders all-star defenseman Mark Streit will miss up to six months after injuring his shoulder in training camp practice. Striet—who was checked by teammate Matt Moulson into the boards—fell awkwardly and hurt his shoulder. 

From Strang’s full story:

According to multiple sources, Islanders defenseman Mark Streit is out six months with a torn labrum and torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder.

Streit, who suffered the injury during the third period of Saturday’s Orange vs. Blue scrimmage, will likely require surgery but will seek out a second opinion this week.

Streit is expected to visit shoulder specialist Anthony Miniaci at the Cleveland Clinic, the same doctor that repaired Doug Weight’s shoulder back in March.

Streit, who had 11 goals and 38 assists for 49 points last season, was clearly the best Islander on the ice night in and night out. He was great in his own zone, put up great numbers in the offensive zone and helped the Islanders transition game immensely. His absence will hurt the Islanders power play badly, and it will also put a ton of pressure on a very young defensive corps. 

If the reports of Streit missing six months are true -- Strang is also reporting that Streit will go for a second opinion -- then this is a devastating blow to the Islanders. Streit is not only a leader on this team but also one of their best players, and was leaned on heavily last year.

We’ll keep you updated on this situation as it progresses, but you can also get more analysis from Lighthouse Hockey.

Mark Streit

#2 / Defenseman / New York Islanders

Height: 6-0

Weight: 197

Born: Dec 11, 1977

Krill Kabanov Comes Late To Practice, Again

Krill Kabanov, who came late to practice a week ago—which earned him the wrath of head coach Scott Gordon—obviously didn’t learn his lesson. Here are the tweets from Katie Strang on the subject:

Don’t be surprised to see Kirill Kabanov bag-skated after practice…the 18-year-old showed up late again #Isles http://tinyurl.com/2aljl6f

Sure enough, Kabanov is being skated hard after morning session as punishment for being late. #Isles

Wow, is really the only word that I can think of on the subject. This year’s 3rd round pick was originally projected to be a top-five pick in this year’s NHL entry draft, but his stock dropped after some attitude issues. The Islanders took a risk on him, and he is living up to his billing. A ton of talent, but a ton of problems as well.

It will be interesting to see how Gordon handles this situation, aside from skating him into the ground as punishment. I would say that this would help him learn his lesson, but we’ve said that before. He better get his act together, and soon.

Prospect Figren Injures Foot

From The New York Post.

Islanders forward prospect, 22-year-old Robin Figren, was hit with a shot in the right foot during final rookie game Thursday in Boston. He was walking with crutches yesterday and an X-ray was planned for later in the day. He is still on the training camp roster, though isn’t expected to skate.

Training Camp Preview: New York Islanders Edition

The New York Islanders walked into this year's offseason knowing that they had to make a few changes. With a relatively successful campaign last year--successful as in allowing guys like the very young and highly touted John Tavares develop--this year the Islanders were looking to do more. 

Dominik from Lighthouse Hockey helps us understand what the view is like from the Islanders side of the fence: 

For the Islanders, veteran agitator Jon Sim returns but it's on a two-way deal, which means he'll have to fight for left wing slots with big-bodied AHL prospects Jesse Joensuu and Matt Martin. Also in that equation is 2010 5th-overall pick Nino Niederreiter, who will be given every chance to stick with the team.

On the blueline, the Isles have eight guys on one-way contracts, with only Andrew MacDonald still waiver-exempt. So if heralded prospects Calvin de Haan or Travis Hamonic make the jump directly from juniors to the NHL, it will be at the expense of a veteran.

In goal, Dwayne Roloson returns as feisty as ever for his age 41 season, and Rick DiPietro is reported to be healthy -- but we all know the proof will be on the ice. Still, even if (when?) one or both suffers an injury, the Isels are prepared: They have strong prospects ready to jump up from the AHL in Nathan Lawson and Mikko Koskinen.

Who's In: 

Zenon Konopka: Konopka is a huge energetic forward who has no problem laying the lumber and protecting his teammates. Konopka seems to be a guy who might fill the enforcer (or bruiser) role for the Islanders this year. At worst he is a good depth player to have on the roster. 

P. A. Parenteau: Parenteau--a former Ranger--has a legitimate shot to make the Islanders this year. Although he was rarely used during his time with the Rangers, he did show some upside when he did play. Parenteau is useful in the shootout and hustles, but a lack of NHL consistency never allowed him to hit the fold.

Mark Eaton: Eaton is a well sized defensive defenseman, who should help the Islanders back end solidify a little. While Eaton's offensive numbers are unimpressive, that's not a part of his game. Eaton is expected to help keep the defensive corps solid, and the flies away from Dwayne Rolston's crease.  

Milan Jurina: The former Washington Capital is a huge defenseman, a presence that the Islanders sorely needed. His inconsistent play, however, is one of the issues that will be working on with the Islanders this season. When he is on his game he's a force in the corners and in front of the net, and that's exactly what the Islanders want to see from him this season. 

Who's Out: 

Jeff Tambellini: The serviceable, and sometimes frustrating, winger never found his place with the Islanders, and as a result was allowed to walk this off-season. The Islanders would like to think that they have the parts to replace him with all the young talent in their system. 

Freddy Meyer: Meyer was a serviceable defenseman, but he has been adequately replaced, and truly won't be missed. 

Martin Biron: As you can see above Rick DiPietro is supposedly healthy again, so the Islanders saw no need to have Biron on the roster. Their loss was the Rangers gain, however, and it seems a bit risky to trust DiPietro's health. 

Sean Bergenheim: Bergenheim is in the same boat as Tambellini, a serviceable guy who the Islanders know they can replace with parts in the system. 

Final Prediction: Although the Islanders have a slew of young talent, and are poised to become a better team in the future, this year figures to be another re-building year to the franchise. But with another year of seasoning some of the young talent on this team will really start to come into its own.